Zane's thoughts race, struggling in a battle of crimson fury which demands he take immediate action and the cooling logic that it really isn't his business.

He had unsuccessfully attempted to enlighten Ventor to the fact that the true Sharp was gone. This new creature, this new creation was merely a dark vessel of that Nightmarish design; its soul hindered and spoiled by the touch of wickedness. Ventor would not let go of her memory though, the memory of the person she once was, the person he married. It made him blind to the evil that now exists in that metallic husk. Their discussion had devolved into a heated shouting match which Anah had been forced to break up.

Now Ventor has gone to deal with the devil herself.

Sharp's final words to the Guardians sprang into Zane's mind, her last message to her family as she left to enter the Church of Nightmares. "I shall deliver my once family to kneel before the Nightmare Throne."

A chill races down Zane's spine as he conciders what Ventor was getting himself into. He walks to the office window and peers out into the mist shrouded Shadow Grove. "Sometimes we just have to learn for ourselves. Love makes us all blind."

Zane sighs to himself, regaining control of his raging ire, grabs the remaining letters and leaves the office. He must mentally prepare himself for where this meeting will inevitably lead and what it will mean upon Ventor's return. In any event, certain preparations may need to be made.

Seive sat in a lonely inn in New Thalos, contemplating his situation. In his hand, he held the mysterious scroll from Sharp, as yet unopened. He had forgotten about it completely in the heated events in the room near the Church of Nightmares.
Seive slowly took deep breaths as he rolled the scroll in his hands, playing with the seal, but not breaking it. After what seemed like an eternity, he took another deep breath and broke the seal of the scroll.
The words were scrawled messily on the parchment, and were slightly smeared by what could have only been tear stains.

Dearest Seive,
I sit here writing this to you wondering what will become of me. I was overcome with surprise and shock after our encounter in your chambers. Perhaps I was a bit rude, and did not thank you properly for saving my life.
In answer to your offer I say this:
I do love you Seive, more than you could know, but sadly it is not that simple.
If only you knew the forces that tear me to peices every day now... You told me that the world awaits us, so I ask you let the world wait until I get
myself together. Will you wait for me, Seive?

Sharp.

Seive sat back, and thought, the words, echoing through his head over and over. "I do love you Seive....I do love you....I..love you...."
Seive closed his eyes, and smiled. He smiled his first carefree and happy smile in a long time.
"Yes, Sharp, I will wait for you. As long as it takes, I swear it." Just then, Arghaii loudly entered the room without knocking, as usual. Seive looked up as he removed his mask, frowning.
"Arghaii, wipe that ridiculous grin off your face and learn some manners." Arghaii ignored him, again as usual, and plunked himself down on the chair next to Seive.
"Seive, have I got news for you!" Arghaii's grin grew twice as wide. "Okay, Arghaii, surprise me." Seive hid a smile as he slowly put the scroll away from Arghaii's line of sight.
"This should be interesting," Seive smirked as Arghaii began to talk...

Sharp nearly fell off the pew that she slumped on. All at once her old sagely emotions curled about her throat and escaped in an animalistic groaning "Ventor, no... Oh, Lord Nisstyre... No!". She jumped to her feet, fleeing from her crazed thoughts into the arms of her husband. At first, as she enveloped him in her arms, she expected to feel the familiar form of her husband from all that time ago. Instead, her metallic exterior clashed brutally against his chest as he almost reeled backwards with the force, winded. Then it became apparent to her just how different they had become. Ventor was now human, she a podrikev. She stepped back, shocked, as Ventor warily held out his soft, fleshy hand to her...

Sharp took Ventor's hand, she saw him wince in pain as she losened her grip slightly, sometimes she forgot how strong she was. They walked out of the chapel, into the garden behind the church and took their places opposite eachother in the overgrown grass. Ventor leaned forward, taking a close look at Sharp, shaking his head, he almost laughed. "I cannot believe, even still, that you are a robot, I find it hard to even sense the old Sharp in you... I had to come today, I scryed you in danger, being held by a dark force... I am glad you are well."
Sharp watched Ventor's expression, he looked so foreign to her also. "The dark force you saw, it was Seive, Ventor." Recoiling in anger, Ventor clenched his jaw in disbelief. "That son of Nisstyre! Mystra slay him! I have not set eyes on the pod, but I shall never forgive him the hand he had in taking you from me, from the Guardians. Sharp, why? What does he want with you? Is he attracted to your recent high standing within this so called church of yours? Typical! You were not good enough for him then, but now he seeks you." Ventor fumed! He knew of the past that Seive and Sharp shared, of the high regard that Sharp held for Seive. Ventor and Sharp had met many times in friendship after she joined CoN. Sharp moaned endlessly about the regimented and hearltess Seive that drove her to physical exhaustion in training. But Ventor, wiser than letting on, knew that Sharp harboured feelings for Seive all those years ago.

"Ventor, calm down! He saved my life!"
"And more than that I would place my life on it." Ventor had an uncanny ability to know what
Sharp felt, and today, almost strangers, it was clear that his powerful intuition was yet again correct....

Arghaii sat by Seive, a huge grin on his face as he was about to reveal to the former Nightmare Lord Sharp's secret.

'I have good news for you! But you must not let Sharp know that I told you..'
'And what could you tell me that I do not already know?', chuckled Seive.
'You are lucky Seive.. you are not alone in your feelings! Sharp also..' Seive let one of his rare loud laughs escape from his mouth, silencing Arghaii.
'What.. what's so funny?', frowned Arghaii obviously confused. 'I already know Arghaii. To be frank, I just found out on my own..', answered Seive.
'But how?', asked Arghaii.
'As always you could not mind your own business Arghaii, but this time it did not matter because I would have found out even if you hadn't poked your ugly hawked nose around..', snickered Seive.

The two sat together for some time, while Seive was telling Arghaii what had taken place.

Seive watched Arghaii leave him. They had exchanged stories of what had happened to each of them. "So, Sharp went to a little church in Stonebow Dale, did she..."
Seive sat back and thought carefully.
"I shall go to her in her time of need, and see if I can lend some support or not," he finally decided.
Returning to his quarters in the Shadow Thieves hall, he began to clean himself up carefully. He put aside his battered and dirty battle armor for the shiny black armor with silver trim. It was the Shadow Thieves dress uniform, one that he had never had occasion to use before. Smirking he eyed the shiny armor. "Well, if it won't protect me from blows, it will at least make me look good." On went the greaves, the armplates, the chestplate, and the torso armor. On his feet, shiny metal boots, and on his hands, black leather gloves. A gigantic flowing black cloak swirled around his neck, attached to his armor by two clan insignia.
Looking into a full length mirror, he grinned evilly. "Time to find this church of hers..."

*********************************************************

Seive had taken quite some time in locating the church. It was much more difficult to move in this armor. Even though outside the walls, he heard two distinct voices conversing. Giving up all attempts at silence, he made himself fully visible and walked in the front entrance.